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Going, Going, Gone

Read: Proverbs 23:1–5 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Exodus 25–26; Matthew 20:17–34

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Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone. Proverbs 23:5

The mischievous artist Banksy pulled off another practical joke. His painting Girl with Balloon sold for one million pounds at Sotheby’s auction house in London. Moments after the auctioneer yelled “Sold,” an alarm sounded and the painting slipped halfway through a shredder mounted inside the bottom of the frame. Banksy tweeted a picture of bidders gasping at his ruined masterpiece, with the caption, “Going, going, gone.”

Banksy relished pulling one over on the wealthy, but he need not have bothered. Wealth itself has plenty of pranks up its sleeve. God says, “Do not wear yourself out to get rich . . . . Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle” (Proverbs 23:4–5).

Few things are less secure than money. We work hard to earn it, yet there are many ways to lose it. Investments go sour, inflation erodes, bills come, thieves steal, and fire and flood destroy. Even if we manage to keep our money, the time we have to spend it continually flies. Blink, and your life is going, going, gone.

What to do? God tells us a few verses later: “always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off” (vv. 17–18). Invest your life in Jesus; He alone will keep you forever.

Where does your life feel insecure? How might that lead you to Jesus?
God, help me to give my insecurities to You and to trust in Your goodness and faithfulness.

INSIGHT

Proverbs 22:17–24:22 is marked out as a separate section with the prologue, “Thirty Sayings of the Wise.” Some scholars have argued that Solomon “borrowed” some of these proverbs from an ancient Egyptian wisdom work “The Instruction of Amenemope,” which has thirty chapters. Regardless of its source, we believe that these “Thirty Sayings” are “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

The seventh saying (Proverbs 23:1–3) paints the picture of being invited to dinner by a powerful host, and warns of being enamored by the appearance of social prestige. Instead, we’re to be vigilant and restrained at a time when it’s easy to indulge. The eighth saying (vv. 4–5) warns of the danger of greed, of being consumed by money and materialism, of trusting in riches. Since wealth is fleeting (27:24), it’s foolish to trust in it (Ecclesiastes 5:13–15; Matthew 6:19; 1 Timothy 6:6–10; James 5:1–6).

K. T. Sim

By |2020-01-29T16:08:52-05:00January 31st, 2020|
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Strengthening Weak Knees

Read: Isaiah 35:1–4 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Exodus 23–24; Matthew 20:1–16

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Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way. Isaiah 35:3

When I was a kid, I thought the song title “He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need,” written by Dottie Rambo in 1967, was “He Looked Beyond My Faults and Saw My Knees.” Employing the logic of a child, I wondered why God would look at knees. Was it because they were weak? I knew that weak-kneed meant “afraid.” I later discovered that Dottie had written the song about God’s unconditional love in response to her brother Eddie’s belief that he was unlovable because of the wrong things he’d done. Dottie assured him that God saw his weakness but loved him anyway.

God’s unconditional love is apparent throughout the many weak-kneed moments of the people of Israel and Judah. He sent prophets like Isaiah with messages for His wayward people. In Isaiah 35, the prophet shares the hope of God’s restoration. The encouragement that would come as a result of embracing hope would “strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way” (v. 3). Through the encouragement they received, God’s people would in turn be able to encourage others. This is why Isaiah instructs in verse 4, “Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear.’ ”

Feeling weak-kneed? Talk to your heavenly Father. He strengthens weak knees through the truth of the Scriptures and the power of His presence. You’ll then be able to encourage others.

What are some of the ways you’ve been encouraged recently? How will you encourage someone who’s facing hard times?
Father, I need Your strength and Your grace today.

INSIGHT

Isaiah 35 follows six woes in chapters 28–33 that proclaim judgment on sinful nations, and chapter 34 that declares judgment on those oppressing God’s people. Chapter 35 stands in stark contrast because it talks of future blessings of a restored Zion; this chapter is peace in chaos as chapters 36–39 transition to focus on the threat of the Babylonian exile, which stood as judgment for Israel’s sin.

In contrast to the theme of God’s anger and coming judgment leading to destruction, chapter 35 promises that God’s people will be heirs of a new age and speaks of nature’s restoration and a salvation that includes freedom from their enemies. Even though the nations, including Israel, would be judged, ultimately God in His goodness would redeem the land.

Julie Schwab

By |2020-01-29T16:17:32-05:00January 30th, 2020|
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Life to the Full

Read: John 10:7–15 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Exodus 21–22; Matthew 19

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The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

The year was 1918, near the end of World War I, and photographer Eric Enstrom was putting together a portfolio of his work. He wanted to include one that communicated a sense of fullness in a time that felt quite empty to so many people. In his now much-loved photo, a bearded old man sits at a table with his head bowed and his hands clasped in prayer. On the surface before him there is only a book, spectacles, a bowl of gruel, a loaf of bread, and a knife. Nothing more, but also nothing less.

Some might say the photograph reveals scarcity. But Enstrom’s point was quite the opposite: Here is a full life, one lived in gratitude, one you and I can experience as well regardless of our circumstances. Jesus announces the good news in John 10: “life . . . to the full” (v. 10). We do a grave disservice to such good news when we equate full with many things. The fullness Jesus speaks of isn’t measured in worldly categories like riches or real estate, but rather a heart, mind, soul, and strength brimming in gratitude that the Good Shepherd gave “his life for the sheep” (v. 11), and cares for us and our daily needs. This is a full life—enjoying relationship with God—that’s possible for every one of us.

Would you say that right now you’re living “life to the full”? Why or why not? Have you had a tendency to equate full with many things?
Good Shepherd, thank You for laying down Your life for me, one of the sheep. And thank You for Your promise to provide nothing less than the daily bread I need, both literally and figuratively.

INSIGHT

The seven “I am” statements recorded in the gospel of John are Christ’s own descriptions of Himself. They’re metaphors He uses to draw out imagery that describes the implications of His identity. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life” (6:35); “the light of the world” (8:12); “the gate” (10:9); “the good shepherd” (10:11); “the resurrection and the life” (11:25–26); “the way and the truth and the life” (14:6); and “the vine” (15:5).

By describing Himself as the gate (10:7), He declares that the sheep will only find safety and pasture when they enter through Him. Then, in related imagery, Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd (v. 11). This is imagery of trust and intimacy. Jesus knows His sheep in a deep and personal way and lays down His life for them in the face of threat.

J.R. Hudberg

By |2020-01-29T16:19:04-05:00January 29th, 2020|
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An Old Clay Pot

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:7–12 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Exodus 19–20; Matthew 18:21–35

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We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

I’ve acquired a number of old clay pots over the years. My favorite was excavated from a site dated during Abraham’s time. It’s at least one item in our home that is older than I! It’s not much to look at: stained, cracked, chipped, and in need of a good scrubbing. I keep it to remind me that I’m just a man made out of mud. Though fragile and weak, I carry an immeasurably precious treasure—Jesus. “We have this treasure [Jesus] in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Paul continues: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (vv. 8–9). Hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down. These are the pressures the pot must bear. Not crushed, in despair, abandoned, destroyed. These are the effects of the counteracting strength of Jesus in us.

“We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus” (v. 10). This is the attitude that characterized Jesus who died to Himself every day. And this is the attitude that can characterize us—a willingness to die to self-effort, trusting solely in the sufficiency of the One who lives in us.

“So that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal body” (v. 10). This is the outcome: the beauty of Jesus made visible in an old clay pot.

How can you meet the demands placed on you? Where does your strength come from?
God, I’m weak and fragile. Thank You for living in me. I want You and Your strength to be seen.

INSIGHT

Paul’s call to ministry included the call to suffer (Acts 9:15–16). In 2 Corinthians 1:8–10; 6:4–10; and 11:23–27 he elaborated on the many oppositions, persecutions, threats, and dangers he faced. He sees these hardships from God’s perspective and desires to persevere through them with God’s provision (4:14–18). Paul’s confident resolve is to not “lose heart” (vv. 1, 16).

In the Bible, earthen vessels (objects made from clay) are used as a metaphor for human weakness and powerlessness (Job 4:19; 10:9; Psalm 31:12; 103:14–15). By speaking of himself as a “jar of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7), Paul acknowledges his frailty and mortality. His confidence isn’t rooted in himself, but in God’s sovereign power and sustaining grace (vv. 7–9), Jesus’ resurrection life (vv. 10–15), and an expectation of a future reward and eternal glory (vv. 16–18).

K. T. Sim

By |2020-01-24T13:26:03-05:00January 28th, 2020|
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Friendship Bench

Read: Exodus 33:9–11 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Exodus 16–18; Matthew 18:1–20

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The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Exodus 33:11

In the African country of Zimbabwe, war trauma and high unemployment can leave people in despair—until they find hope on a “friendship bench.” Hopeless people can go there to talk with trained “grandmothers”—elderly women taught to listen to people struggling with depression, known in that nation’s Shona language as kufungisisa, or “thinking too much.”

The Friendship Bench Project is being launched in other places, including Zanzibar, London, and New York City. “We were thrilled to bits with the results,” said one London researcher. A New York counselor agreed. “Before you know it, you’re not on a bench, you’re just inside a warm conversation with someone who cares.”

The project evokes the warmth and wonder of talking with our Almighty God. Moses put up not a bench but a tent to commune with God, calling it the tent of meeting. There, “the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11). Joshua, his assistant, wouldn’t even leave the tent, perhaps because he so valued his time with God (v. 11).

Today we no longer need a tent of meeting. Jesus has brought the Father near. As He told His disciples, “I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Yes, our God awaits us. He’s our heart’s wisest helper, our understanding Friend. Talk with Him now.

What worries consume your thoughts today? As you talk to God about these concerns, what good thoughts about Him can you focus on instead?
Dear God, thank You for encouraging our hearts with noble thoughts of You. When we’re sick with worry, point our minds back to You.

INSIGHT

In Exodus 25:8, God gave Moses specific instructions for building a “tabernacle” or place of worship: “Have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” In obedience to this command, Moses directed the building of a very elaborate, portable, tent-like structure (chs. 25–31). This dwelling was often referred to as the “tent of meeting” (27:21; 29:44; 40:2).

While God was giving Moses instructions on how to build the tabernacle, the children of Israel sinned by worshiping a golden calf (ch. 32). Now under God’s judgment (v. 35), they faced the threat of God not journeying with them (33:3). So Moses set up a “tent of meeting” outside the camp (vv. 7–11), which provided a degree of separation between God and His rebellious people. There Moses conducted God’s business with His people. This tent of meeting was a separate structure from the tabernacle described in chapters 25–31, which wasn’t completed until later (see 39:32).

Arthur Jackson

By |2020-01-27T08:15:41-05:00January 27th, 2020|
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Guiding Children to God

Read: 2 Timothy 3:10–15 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Exodus 14–15; Matthew 17

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Continue in what you have learned . . . how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:14–15

An outspoken atheist believes it’s immoral for parents to teach their children religion as though it were actually true. He even claims that parents who pass along their faith to their children are committing child abuse. Though these views are extreme, I do hear from parents who are hesitant to boldly encourage their children toward faith. While most of us readily hope to influence our children with our view of politics or nutrition or sports, for some reason some of us treat our convictions about God differently.

In contrast, Paul wrote of how Timothy had been taught “from infancy . . . the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Timothy didn’t arrive at faith as an adult through the power of his own, unaided reason. Rather, his mother nurtured his heart toward God; then he continued in what he had learned (v. 14). If God is life, the source of true wisdom, then it’s vital for us to tenderly cultivate a love for God in our families.

There are many belief systems that are influencing our children. TV shows, movies, music, teachers, friends, the media—each of these carry assumptions (either obvious or under the radar) about faith that exert real influence. May we choose not to be silent. The beauty and grace we’ve experienced compels us to guide our children toward God.

Reflect on the myriad influences and messages children (or all of us) receive in a given day. How do these forces shape you and those you love?
Dear Father, thank You for the joy and privilege to gracefully nurture children’s hearts toward You.

INSIGHT

Paul loves Timothy like a son (2 Timothy 1:2) and wants him to grow strong in a love and faith worth living and dying for (2:1–3). But while referring often in his letter to themes of suffering and harassment (1:8–9, 11–12, 15; 2:8–10; 3:10–12; 4:17–18), the apostle didn’t have a persecution complex. In fact, when he tells Timothy that all who want to live in the spirit and reverence of Jesus will experience opposition (2 Timothy 3:12), he does so in the context of warning that those who live only for themselves will be doing greater harm to themselves and one another in the long run (vv. 1–9, 13). Paul reminded Timothy that that those who opposed them weren’t the real enemy. Without realizing it, such persons had been snared by the devil to distract from the goodness and grace of Christ (2:22–26; Ephesians 6:12).

Mart DeHaan

By |2020-01-24T12:13:59-05:00January 26th, 2020|
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The Greatest Mystery

Read: Colossians 1:15–22 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Exodus 12–13; Matthew 16

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The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Colossians 1:15

Before I came to faith in Jesus, I’d heard the gospel preached but wrestled with His identity. How could He offer forgiveness for my sins when the Bible says only God can forgive sins? I discovered I wasn’t alone in my struggles after reading J. I. Packer’s Knowing God. Packer suggests that for many unbelievers the “really staggering Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God made man . . . as truly and fully divine as He was human.” Yet this is the truth that makes salvation possible.

When the apostle Paul refers to Christ as “the image of the invisible God,” he’s saying Jesus is completely and perfectly God—Creator and Sustainer of all things in heaven and earth‒but also fully human (Colossians 1:15–17). Because of this truth, we can be confident that through Christ’s death and resurrection, He’s not only carried the consequences for our sins but has also redeemed human nature, so that we—and all of creation—can be reconciled to God (vv. 20–22).

In an amazing, initiating act of love, God the Father reveals Himself in and through Scripture by the power of God the Holy Spirit and through the life of God the Son. Those who believe in Jesus are saved because He is Emmanuel—God with us. Hallelujah!

When have you wrestled with your understanding of Jesus? What was the result?
Loving God, thank You for revealing Yourself and reconciling us through Jesus.

INSIGHT

Paul wrote Colossians to refute false teachings. He doesn’t specifically state what these heresies were other than they pertained to who Christ is. Paul sets forth the deity of Jesus (1:15–16), His superiority and authority (vv. 17–23), and His sufficiency for salvation and spiritual growth (2:6–15). Probably no passage in the New Testament contains more concentrated doctrine about Christ than Colossians 1:15–23. Paul affirmed four things about His identity and authority: He’s God (v. 15); He’s the Creator and Sustainer of all creation (vv. 16–17); He’s the Head of the church, His new creation (v. 18); and He’s our Redeemer and Savior (vv. 19–23)

K. T. Sim

By |2020-01-24T12:06:32-05:00January 25th, 2020|
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No Line to Love

Read: Isaiah 46:3–10 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Exodus 9–11; Matthew 15:21–39

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I have made you and I will carry you. Isaiah 46:4

Sometimes when my Labrador retriever wants attention, he’ll take something of mine and parade it in front of me. One morning as I was writing at the desk with my back turned, Max snatched my wallet and ran off. But realizing I hadn’t seen him do it, he returned and nudged me with his nose—wallet in mouth, eyes dancing, tail wagging, taunting me to play.

Max’s antics made me laugh, but they also reminded me of my limitations when it comes to being attentive to others. So often I’ve intended to spend time with family or friends, but other things occupy my time and awareness; and before I know it the day slips away and love is left undone.

How comforting to know that our heavenly Father is so great that He’s able to attend to each of us in the most intimate ways—even sustaining every breath in our lungs for as long as we live. He promises His people, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you” (Isaiah 46:4).

God always has time for us. He understands every detail of our circumstances—no matter how complex or difficult—and is there whenever we call on Him in prayer. We never have to wait in line for our Savior’s unlimited love.

In what ways does God take care of your daily needs? How can you share His love with others?
You always have time for me, Jesus. Please help me to live every moment for You!

INSIGHT

In Isaiah 46, God contrasts Himself to idols (“burdensome” gods, v. 1) made by man. They not only are incapable of rescuing their worshipers but they themselves have to be carried to safety (vv. 1–2, 6–7). These gods included Bel (a variant of Baal), the principal god of the Babylonians, and his son Nebo. In contrast, God created us, carries us, and sustains us (v. 4). He alone is the one true God: “I am God, and there is no other” (v. 9). The Bible repeatedly points to this truth (Deuteronomy 4:39; 2 Samuel 7:22; Nehemiah 9:6; Isaiah 44:6).

Alyson Kieda

By |2020-01-24T11:59:58-05:00January 24th, 2020|
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Waiting with the Turtle

Read: Psalm 40:1–5, 14–17 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Exodus 7–8; Matthew 15:1–20

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I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1

Every fall, when the painted turtle senses winter coming, she dives to the bottom of her pond, burying herself in the muck and mud. She pulls into her shell and goes still: her heart rate slows, almost stopping. Her body temperature drops, staying just above freezing. She stops breathing, and she waits. For six months, she stays buried, and her body releases calcium from her bones into her bloodstream, so that she slowly begins even to lose her shape.

But when the pond thaws, she will float up and breathe again. Her bones will reform, and she will feel the warmth of the sun on her shell.

I think of the painted turtle when I read the psalmist’s description of waiting for God. The psalmist is in a “slimy pit” of “mud and mire,” but God hears him (Psalm 40:2). God lifts him out, and gives him a firm place to stand. God is “my help and my deliverer,” he sings (v. 17).

Perhaps it feels like you’ve been waiting forever for something to change—for a new direction in your career, for a relationship to be restored, for the willpower to break a bad habit, or for deliverance from a difficult situation. The painted turtle and the psalmist are here to remind us to trust in God: He hears, and He will deliver.

What do you need to trust God with? What might that look like today?
God, sometimes it’s hard to wait. But we trust in You and in Your deliverance. Please give us patience, and allow Your greatness and glory to be evident in our lives.

INSIGHT

Psalm 40 both praises God for His help in the past (vv. 1–10) and pleads for His help once more in a new crisis (vv. 11–17). The “pit” and “mud and mire” of verse 2 were images associated with death; for the psalmist, God’s deliverance in the past was experienced as dramatically as being given a new life after death. Although the writer’s sufferings are too many to name (v. 12), so are God’s many wonders (v. 5). God’s long history of faithfulness gives His people a solid foundation for trust and confidence (v. 2)

Monica La Rose

By |2020-01-22T12:04:47-05:00January 23rd, 2020|
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Demonstrating Grace

Read: Micah 7:18–20 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Exodus 4–6; Matthew 14:22–36

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You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19

“In moments where tragedy happens or even hurt, there are opportunities to demonstrate grace or to exact vengeance,” the recently bereaved man remarked. “I chose to demonstrate grace.” Pastor Erik Fitzgerald’s wife had been killed in a car accident caused by an exhausted firefighter who fell asleep while driving home, and legal prosecutors wanted to know whether he would seek the maximum sentence. The pastor chose to practice the forgiveness he often preached about. To the surprise of both him and the firefighter, the men eventually became friends.

Pastor Erik was living out of the grace he’d received from God, who’d forgiven him all of his sins. Through his actions he echoed the words of the prophet Micah, who praised God for pardoning sin and forgiving when we do wrong (Micah 7:18). The prophet uses wonderfully visual language to show just how far God goes in forgiving His people, saying that He will “tread our sins underfoot” and hurl our wrongdoings into the deep sea (v. 19). The firefighter received a gift of freedom that day, which brought him closer to God.

Whatever difficulty we face, we know that God reaches out to us with loving, open arms, welcoming us into His safe embrace. He “delights to show mercy” (v. 18). As we receive His love and grace, He gives us the strength to forgive those who hurt us—even as Pastor Erik did.

How do you respond to this story of amazing forgiveness? Can you think of someone you need to forgive? If so, ask God to help you.
Father God, You love us without ceasing, and You delight to forgive us when we return to You. Envelop us with Your love, that we might demonstrate grace to those who hurt us.

INSIGHT

The prophet Micah declares, “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). However, Israel had not lived up to those requirements. In chapter 7, the author reviews the nation’s grim prospects because of their disobedience (vv. 1–6). But verse 7 of this final chapter signals a sudden change in tone, and the book’s last thirteen verses comprise a surprisingly triumphant hymn. Why is it triumphant? Because the prophet praises God’s character. Despite all the harsh (and deserved) pronouncements of judgment, God will be true to His word. He will redeem His people. And so Micah asks, “Who is a God like you?” (v. 18). Israel’s loving God will keep His covenant as He “pledged on oath . . . in days long ago” (v. 20).

Tim Gustafson

By |2020-01-17T14:40:54-05:00January 22nd, 2020|
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